The business activities of a specialty chemicals group are of interest to a whole range of people – from customers, suppliers, politicians, scientists and the media to non-governmental organizations, employees, stockholders and the investment market. LANXESS believes it is extremely important to maintain open dialog with all the various interest groups. Indeed, lively discourse can play an important part in generating something that is crucial to business success – trust. Open communication demonstrates transparency, and transparency builds trust. Stakeholder dialog enables LANXESS to play an active role in shaping important economic and social issues and gives the company the opportunity to work with stakeholders in developing solutions that promise sustainable business success.

Stakeholder surveys – getting another viewpoint on important social issues
In November 2010, LANXESS surveyed 30 stakeholders about their expectations of responsible corporate business practices. They were asked to identify issues that are relevant to the sustainable development of LANXESS now and that will be relevant in the near future. The stakeholders saw employee development, corporate social responsibility, the ecologically sustainable development of chemical products and processes and supply chain management as crucial areas of activity. The results of the stakeholder survey are being incorporated into strategy development depending on their relevance to the individual lines of business within the group. At the same time, the issues and their development are also being monitored, analyzed and strategically prepared as part of global issues management processes.

Personal contacts – a key criterion for optimal product solutions
Alongside stakeholder dialog on general economic and social issues, the individual business units at LANXESS also maintain close contact with the interest groups that matter most to them. For example, personal contact with customers, service providers and suppliers is crucial if a company is to get the very best out of its products and processes. What do customers expect from LANXESS products? What requirements do precursors and intermediates need to satisfy for downstream and final processing? How can supply chain processes be optimized? The results of personal contact are decisive in enabling the development of optimal product solutions and new technical innovations – and naturally they are also the key to gaining a competitive edge.

Public affairs – focusing on energy and environmental policy, education and innovation
LANXESS also maintains open dialog with government representatives and with authorities from local to European and even international level. Political communication at LANXESS centers on an active discourse regarding strategic issues. Topics include environmentally friendly product and process innovations, developments on raw material and energy markets and the labor market and education policy issues. Besides political communication at its individual sites, LANXESS is also close to the heart of political decision-making, with offices in Berlin, Germany, and Brussels, Belgium. The strategic alignment of global political activities is coordinated by the Public Affairs Task Force, a Corporate Communications unit.